Reduce Crime Rate

By Jim Gardner

The crime rate in Lake Forest is higher than almost all of our neighbors. Why?

From 2011 to 2013 we had more murders in Lake Forest than they did in 9 other cities controlled by the OC Sheriff's Department combined!.

Compared to previous years, our rates for murder, forcible rape, narcotics violations, vehicular homicide, etc. are on the rise. Especially troublesome is forcible rape that continues to rise right through 2014.

With such a poor record, the City Council let the vital Neighborhood Watch program vegetate, and left the coordinator position vacant for more than a year.

The Council allows more stores to open that sell beer and wine, despite the known correlation between the availability of alcohol and violent crime and DUIs. Some tracts in the City have more than 3 times the regulated number of stores selling alcohol, because the City Council allows exceptions.

We need to -

1. Accept the truth about our crime rate and stop lying to the public.
2. Invigorate the Neighborhood Watch program.
3. More aggressively recruit people to the STARS program.
4. Spend more resources on crime prevention.